Question Banks
Doing questions is the most effective, useful and engaging way to prepare for such a content heavy exam. Regardless of your learning style, doing practise questions should form the core part of your preparation. There are many question banks out there, but one is ahead of the rest in terms of focused preparation for Step 1 and that’s UWorld. Other banks include USMLE Rx, Kaplan and Amboss. Let’s start with UWorld.
The UWorld platform and questions are by far the most representative of the actual exam. It has become an almost indispensable resource for many people taking Step 1. With over 2500 questions in the bank (and growing), this is the best resource you can use for your preparation in my opinion. There is some contention about whether to learn some content and then use UWorld to test your knowledge, or whether to start using UWorld early and potentially ‘waste’ questions whilst your knowledge base isn’t up to scratch. In my opinion, UWorld is best used as an interactive textbook, because the gold is really in the UWorld explanations. Of all the resources you can use, UWorld provides the most extensive explanations and has brilliant custom-drawn figures. So, I personally think that using the question bank early in your preparation (spreading out the resource) gives you time to properly understand the reasoning of the answers, and this thinking process will take you far in the exam. However, it is important for you to strike the right balance between the cost of the resource, how much you will use it, and how far away your exam is. UWorld is very expensive, so the length of your subscription is something you should consider carefully if you choose this resource. UWorld also has the option of purchasing two full-length mock USMLE exams, if you think you would like the extra practise.
This question bank has been developed by the same people that wrote First Aid. The questions are simpler than the real exam, but some people like to use Rx to make learning all the content in First Aid a bit more enjoyable – each question’s explanation is also accompanied with the relevant electronic section of First Aid where the answer can be found. This way, the Rx question bank takes you through an interactive tour of First Aid, learning it via practise questions. Definitely more interesting than reading First Aid from end to end!
This question bank is also popular amongst test takers, though reviews online suggest that some questions test niche details that aren’t necessarily in the style or content of Step 1. Nevertheless, some people enjoy using it. Again, it is expensive, so if you were to only choose 1 bank, I strongly recommend UWorld.
This is a much newer resource which aims to be a comprehensive study guide for Step 1. As well as a question bank, Amboss provides clearly laid out pages for diseases, with sections on pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis and management. Parts of the Amboss set of notes are available to view online for free, so have a look to see if you like the structure and content of the material.
On the NBME (National Board of Medical Examiners) website, you can buy mock USMLE Step 1 papers (and there is also a set of questions on the USMLE website for free). Definitely use the free USMLE questions, as these are usually new or recently retired questions from the real Step 1 exam bank, and so they are the most representative. However, the explanations aren’t great/non-existent in these resources, so they are best used as a marker/testing tool rather than a learning tool like UWorld.
